John m



(ModeL) J. M. GRIEST.

EMBROIDERINGATTAOHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 319,701. Patented June9, 1885.

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ATENT FFlCe JOHN M. GRIEST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGERMANU' FAOTURING COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY.

EIVIBROIDERING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,701, dated June 9,1885.

Application filed September 18, 1884. (Model) To all whom, it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. GRIEsT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Embroid eringAttachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of embroidering attachments adaptedto carry an embroidering-thread around the needle and its thread at eachstitch, the object of my invention being the production of anembroiderin g attachment of this kind which is simple in construction,and which will perform its work in a reliable manner.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side elevations showing mydevice ,in operative relation to the needle and presser bars of asewing-machine, the needle-bar and needle thereof being at their highestpoint. Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 2, but with the needle-barand needle at their lowest point. Fig. 4 is a plan view of my devicewith the looper thrown forward, as in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 5 and 6 arefront views with the main arm of the operating-lever in section,theneedle-bar and needle being in different positions in the two views.Fig. 7 is a detail side view of the looper, and Fig. 8 is a detailperspective view of the looper-spring.

A indicates a presser-foot having a shank, a, by which it is adapted tobe attached to the presser-bar X of a sewing-machine in any usual way.The presser-foot is preferably bifurcated or left open around theneedle, and also chamfered off around the opening, as clearly shown inFig. 4, so as to permit of the free action of the looper, and to let thelatter on its forward movement slide down close to the work. Thisopening also gives an unobstructed view of the work and of thepatternlines to be followed in embroidering.

B is the main plate, constituting the supporting-frame of theattachment, said plate being secured to or formed integral with theshank (t of the presser-foot, and provided with along curved slot, 12,and a small slot,

Z both in its side ormain portion. The

front end'of the plate Bis bent at right angles to its main portion, andin said end is formed a hole, I), preferably-square, or approximatelyso. The rcar end of the plate B is also bent at right angles, or nearlyso, to the main portion of the plate, and is provided with a slot oropening at N.

' To a standard, Z1, on the upper portion of the plate B is pivoted anangular or bellcrank lever, O, the main arm a of whichis slotted at itsend to embrace a screw on the needle-bar, while the smaller arm, 0,extends downward, and is provided with a lug, 0 working in the slot 7)of the main plate or slip porting-frame B.

D is the looper, which is arranged to slide freely back and forth inbearings in the plate B, afforded by the hole b and slot at If, saidlooper being provided with lugs d d, between which lug c on the arm 0 ofthe bell-crank lever works. The forward or working end, (I, of thelooper is bent so as to be inclined at an angle of about forty-fivedegrees to the main portion thereof, and isalso bent downward andprovided with thread-holes d, d and d. The downwardly-bent end of thelooper is rounded out slightly on its rear or under side,forming a smallnotch at cl" for catching the needle-thread. The looper D is preferablyarranged at an inclination to a horizontal plane, as shown, so that asit moves forward its thread-carrying end will approach the work, saidend receding therefrom when it is moved backward.

E is a plate-spring, which is secured at one end to the plate 13, itsfree end 6 being bent inward, passing through the slot 7) in the plateB, and hearing at proper intervals against the shank of the looper, aswill presently be explained. The springE is arranged outside of thelever-arm 0 of the bell-crank lever, said spring being bent so that saidarm may work freely under the forward portion of the same withoutengagement therewith; but when said arm in'its backward movement comesin contact with the bend c said spring will be raised by saidarm fromcontact with the looper D, leaving the forward end of the latter free tomove sidewise in the hole bithrough which it loosely plays. The looperDis provided near its rear end with a small slot, d, and the end 6 of thespring E is diminished slightly to fit said slot and still leave smallshoulders 6 to bear against the looper when the end of the spring is inthe said slot.

The needle of the mechanism being supplied with one of theembroidery-threads, and the attachment being secured to the presser-bar,in place of the ordinary presser foot, and

threaded, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and g 2, with the other of theembroidery-threads, the device is ready for operation. When the needleis at its highest point and the looper is thrown fully. forward, (seeFig. 1,) the'point e of the spring E engages the slot-d of the looper D,locking said looper positively in place, so that it cannot beaccidentally displaced or get in the way of the needle. Theneedle-thread is at this moment held in the notch (Z of the looper,passing thence to the work beneath the presser foot, while thelooper-thread, emerging from the outer hole, d in the looper, alsoextends beneath the presser-foot. The two threads, being thus held apartfrom each other by the looper and coming together beneath thepresser-foot, form a V, or, with the adjacent part of the looper, atriangle directly beneath the needle, which, on its descent, carries itsthread through said V or triangle. The bell-crank lever 0 movesconstantly with the needle-bar; but, by reason of the distance apart ofthe lugs d d on the looper, there will be considerable movement of thesaid lever before the lug 0 on the arm 0 thereof comes in contact withthe lug d on the looper, to move the latter backward. In the meantimethe arm 0 of the lever G will have reached the bend e of the spring E,and will not only have released the point of said spring from the slot din the looper, thus leaving the latter free to move endwise, but willhave lifted said spring entirely clear of the looper,.so that itsforward end can move laterally in the hole I) in the front end of theplate B. The looper, as the needle continues to descend, is nextmovedbackward, and its inclined forward end, d, being thus forced in contactwith the needle, (as willbe understood from Fig. 4,) said looper ismoved sidewise by contact with the needle toward the right of theoperator, carrying its thread around on the right-hand side of theneedle. When the nee dle rises, the looper momentarily remainsstationary (by reason of the lost motion of the lug a between the lugs dd, as before explained) until the arm a of the'lever 0 shall have passedforward of the bend e of the spring E,lcaving said spring again free to.act on the looper and force the forward end thereof to the left in thehole b The lug a next comes in contact with the lug d, and the looper,now inclined to the left, is moved forward to the position shown by Fig.4. As the looper moves forward, the

needle is raised, so as to be out of its way, and the inclined end ofthe looper is pushed against the needle-thread, so that the latter fallsinto the notch dflwhere it is retained until the needle again descendsbetween it and the looperthread. Thus the operation continues, thelooper moving intermittingly backward and forward, carrying its threadto the left of the needle on its forward movement and to the right ofthe needle on its backward movement, thereby winding its thread aroundthe needlethread and producing the kind of embroidery hereinbeforereferred to.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In an embroidering attachment, thecombination, with a'supportingframe, a reciprocating looper, and anoperatinglever for the latter, of aspring' adapted to press against saidlooper during its forward movement, and means, as an arm of said lever,for releasing said spring from said looper during the backward movementof the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. In an embroidering attachment, the combination,with asupporting-frame and a looper and its operating mechanism, of a springadapted to engage said looper and lock the same in place when it hasreached the end of its forward throw, and means, as a vibrating arm of abell-crank lever, for releasing said spring from said looper when thelatter is to be moved backward, substantially as set forth.

3. In an embroidering attachment, the combination, with asupporting-frame, a looper having an inclined forward end, and mechanismfor imparting an intermittent longitudinal movement to said looper, of aspring normally pressing against said looper when the latter is beingmoved forward, and means, as a vibrating arm of a bell-crank lever,'forreleasing said looper from the pressure of said spring when the looperis being moved backward, substantially as set forth.

4. In an embroidering attachment, the combination, with asupporting-frame and a presser-foot having a bifurcated front or toe,the opening between the prongs of which flares or widens outwardly, of areciprocating looper extending forward during its movements into saidopening, and mechanism for operating said looper, substantially as setforth.

5. In an embroidering attachment, the combination, with asupporting-frame and apresser-foot having a bifurcated front or t0e,'theopening between the prongs of which flares or widens outwardly, and theupper edge of said toe around said. opening being chamfered off orbeveled, as shown, of an inclined reciprocating looper extending forwardduring its movements into said opening, and mechanism for operating saidlooper, substantially as set forth.

6. In an embroidering attachment, the combination, with a presser-footand a main plate or supporting-frame carried thereby, and provided withopenings afl'ording bearings for the, looper, one of said openings beingmuch wider than the thickness of said looper, so that the latter canvibrate therein, of a looper sns= tained in said bearings, andmechanismfor reciprocating said looper longitudinally, and

IIO

vibrating the same laterally, substantially as set forth.

7. In an embroidering attachment, the combination of a presser-foot, amain plate or supporting frame carried thereby and provided with acurved slot, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said supporting-frame, andhaving one of its arms adapted for engagement with the needle-bar, andthe other arm provided with a lug working in said slot, a loopersustained in bearings in said supporting-frame, and having lugs arrangedin the path of the lug on the lower arm of the bell-crank lever, and aspring adapted to press against said looper and to be intermittinglyreleased therefrom by one of the arms of said lever, substantially asset forth.

8. The combination of the presser-foot A, main plate or supporting-frameB, having slot 1), bell-crank lever 0, having lug c on its lower arm,looper D, having inclined end (I and lugs d d, and the spring E,havingQbendQe and inwardly-bent end 6, substantially as set forth.

